Spartans edge Hannibal

Monday

Feb 11, 2013 at 3:00 PM

Chuck Embree, MI Sports Reporter

Moberly boys basketball team watched a 12-point lead with about 3 minutes left to play slip out of their hands, making it a one possession game with Hannibal with just 10 seconds remaining when J’Von Spiller gave Spartans fans some sigh of relief.

About 5 ticks later the sophomore was fouled and Spiller ended up making one of two free throws to force the battle to become a two-possession issue with the Pirates.

That was good enough to allow Moberly to return home securing a 56-52 victory against their North Central Missouri Conference rival and spoil Hannibal’s Senior Night celebration.

“Hannibal really made things tough on us. Given our injury situation having two starters mostly likely out for the rest of the season (sr. Daniel Collier, jr. Acie Seifert) we did a pretty good job coming together as a team to pull this one out,” said Moberly boys basketball coach Mark Anderson. “I thought our half court offense with ball movement looked pretty good, and defensively we guarded well.”

The Spartans led from start to finish, and rode the 3-point shooting effort of Tanner Wetrich – who put away four 3s in the first half – to take a 29-25 advantage with them into the break. Moberly also closed out the third quarter scoring six unanswered points to lead 42-35.

Wetrich finished the game with 16 points scored to pace Moberly (16-4, 7-1 NCMC), and both Spiller and Rashaun Smith had 15 points for the cause.

Andrew Garrison added five points for Moberly Alshaun Oliver and Scott Mason each had two while Justin Connaway made a free throw.At the stripe the Spartans went 8-for-15 and Hannibal made 6 of 13.“I have to give Dalton Powell of Hannibal a lot of credit. He played a really hard and nice game for them, and he hit a bunch of tough shots against us,” said coach Anderson.